Spring 2025 | Volume 18
Baylor School of Education Impact logo

Preparing Leaders, Impacting the World, Shaping the Future

INSIDE:

  • Project Promise Celebrates 25 Years
  • National & Texas Student Teacher of the Year
  • Alumni Profile: Tuskegee President Dr. Mark Brown
  • SOE Across the Globe
  • Dr. Jimmy Williamson Still Giving to Baylor
COVER STORY: Promising Futures

The School of Education’s Project Promise Program has awarded more than 1,300 scholarships in its 25 years serving high-ability K-12 students from families with financial need. With programs offered through Baylor TIP, the students have even more opportunities to reach their educational potential.

Message from the Dean — Spring 2025

Dean Shanna Hagan-Burke shares excitement about the University's strategic plan, Baylor In Deeds, and how it reflects deeply held values within the School of Education — making education affordable, addressing global challenges, strengthening respectful discourse, and exploring the impacts of technology.

Student Teacher National and State Honoree — again

School of Education (SOE) graduate Ashlyn Bergethon, BSEd ’24, continued Baylor’s string of student teacher of the year recognitions at the national and state level. Read about her journey and don't miss the WEB EXTRA to read a career update from past recipients and find out where they are teaching now.

Baylor Outstanding Faculty Awards

School of Education faculty members Dr. Sandi Cooper, Dr. Sarah Mire, and Dr. Tony Talbert were recipients of Baylor University Outstanding Faculty Awards. They were recognized across three different categories — Dr. Cooper for community impact, Dr. Mire for exceptional research, and Dr. Talbert for outstanding teaching.

Teaching about Technology

Influenced by his time as a classroom teacher, Dr. Phil Nichols, associate professor of English education in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, is nationally recognized for his research exploring the ways technology influences public education. Also read the WEB EXTRA on the Technology Iceberg.

Alumni Profile: Mark A. Brown

Dr. Mark Brown, who earned an EdD at Baylor in 2022, is the tenth president of Tuskegee University and the first Tuskegee graduate to hold the position. A retired two-star Air Force major general, he was also previously chief operating officer of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Federal Student Aid.

New faculty Members

Baylor School of Education welcomed eight new faculty members for the 2024-25 academic year, with a new department chair for Educational Psychology and additions in each of the SOE’s four academic units: Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Online Learning.

Accolades

Baylor School of Education faculty, undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni have been winning awards! From Baylor honors to national recognitions, their achievements reflect the difference they are making in the realms of teaching, research, and collegiate administration.

SOE Event Highlights

It’s always busy in the School of Education, both inside and outside of the classroom. Here are a few pictorial highlights from the School of Education's 2024-25 academic year — featuring academic programs, special events, student achievements, philanthropic projects, and more. Our students even went on an adventure to Austin.

Faculty Part of Interdisciplinary EPA Grant Award

The School of Education is part of an interdisciplinary team that earned a grant to drive transformative local initiatives aimed at food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience in Waco’s underserved communities. They are expanding educational and gardening programs into schools and faith-based organizations.

Education Across the Pond

Baylor School of Education’s “Interns in England” study-abroad program is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Baylor seniors or graduate students can spend four weeks in a London suburb, and their co-director Dr. Kelly Johnston has a unique perspective on the program — she was a student participant!

Let's Go Global

The School of Education’s global programs offer opportunities on four continents — Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America (Costa Rica) — for undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty to deepen their intercultural understanding while exploring comparative education and a variety of other disciplines.

News Briefs: Faculty Updates

Dr. Sandi Cooper became the SOE's associate dean for undergraduate education, three professors were named among the nation’s top researchers, and educational psychology faculty are studying patience, focusing specifically on families raising adolescents who experience intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Lifelong Dedication to Education

Retired professor Dr. Jimmy Williamson, BSEd ’57, and his late wife Glenda, BSEd ’58, dedicated their lives to education, and now the family has established an endowed scholarship for school leaders to continue that impact. Dr. Williamson taught educational leadership and served as SOE interim dean.